The present invention generally relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to an internal combustion engine (both two-stroke and 4-stroke engines) that uses directly injected molecular oxygen, viz., O2, with concomitant suppression of by-product N2, NOx gases (herein often referred to as “nitrogen gases”).
The overall efficiency of an internal combustion engine, or simply “engine” for present purposes, depends in part on the amount of fuel that can be burned in any given cycle. In recent years, environmental concerns have had an increasing effect on such engines. For example, the air/fuel mixture fed into the engine typically is adjusted to prevent complete combustion so that the catalytic converter will be able to reduce emitted nitrogen oxides to the level required by governmental standards. However, since such an adjustment prevents complete combustion, increased amounts of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide result.
Heretofore, WO 2005083243 proposes an on-board oxygen generator employing a pressure swing adsorption or other process to generate oxygen for feeding to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,526 proposes to monitor an internal combustion engine to control emissions by adding enriched air generated by a membrane to the air intake manifold.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,619 proposes to enrich air via a membrane and feed such enriched air to an internal combustion engine during cold start up periods to reduce emissions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,746 proposes to add oxygen enriched air, atomized fuel, and atomized water into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine to increase its burning efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,023 proposes to add oxygen enriched air and moisture to the intake of a turbocharger, which supplies pressurized air to an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,665 proposes to directly inject water into each cylinder of a turbocharged internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,609 proposes to store an compound, which releases oxygen upon heating, on board a vehicle for passing such oxygen into an internal combustion engine for decreasing hydrocarbon and oxide emissions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,745 proposes a water injection system for an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,761 proposes to mix oxygen and an inert gas other than nitrogen for passing into an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,792,690 proposes to burn oxygen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide in an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,203 proposes to use the exhaust heat from an internal combustion engine to heat an alkali metal perchlorate salt to generate oxygen for combustion in the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,672,341 proposes a combustion cycle for an internal combustion engine that utilizes oxygen, fuel, and water vapor with an injection schedule.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,879,753 proposes a water injection system for an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,775,961 proposes to generate oxygen from an oxygen-generating compound for injection into an internal combustion engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,108,608 proposes to decomposes hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water for combusting in an engine.
British published patent application serial number GB 2,342,390 proposes to enrich air via a membrane and feed such enriched air to an internal combustion engine.
Despite these proposals, clean burning engines still have eluded the skilled artisan, despite their need.